Paul Colin
French painter, graphic artist and scenographer, 1892-1985

Paul Colin

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The basics
Quick facts
Intro
French painter, graphic artist and scenographer, 1892-1985
Gender:
Male
Places:
France
Is:
ArtistPoster artistPainterDesignerIllustratorFilm crew memberScenographerDrawerSculptorSet decoratorFashion designerCostume designerPrintmakerVisual artistGraphic designerAdvertising executive
Work field:
ArtsBusinessCreativityFashionFilm, TV, Stage & Radio
Birth:
27 June 1892(Nancy, Duchy of Lorraine)
Death:
18 June 1985(Nogent-sur-Marne, France)
Star sign:
Cancer
Genres:
Caricature
Education:
École nationale supérieure d'art de Nancy
École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts
The details
Biography

Paul Colin (27 June 1892 in Nancy, France – 18 June 1985 in Nogent-sur-Marne) was one of France’s greatest poster artists.

Made famous in 1925 by his poster for the Revue Nègre, which helped to launch the career of Josephine Baker (who became his mistress), he worked for over forty years in the theatre, creating not only posters but also numerous sets and costumes.

Very Art déco at the outset, (his Le Tumulte noir is a masterpiece of the genre), his style quickly became highly personal and impossible to categorize: the synthetic accuracy of his portraits, the evocative force of his posters for grand causes so marked him as a master of visual communication that his work today remains relevant and fresh. A student of Eugène Vallin and of Victor Prouvé, he is considered a master of the modern school of poster art. He is the author of over 1400 posters and many theatrical set and costume designs.

He was the master of painter Philippe Derome and poster artists duo Lefor-Openo

An original vintage poster of singer and Broadway star Adelaide Hall by Paul Colin advertising Blackbirds at the Moulin Rouge in 1929, sold on 2 October 2003 at Swann Auction Galleries in New York for $167,500. The sale signalled a record high for an original Paul Colin poster.